Born and brought up in Gujarat, India, Manish grew up in a family of musicians, spending his childhood around a unique atmosphere of family, friends, dance, meditation, music gatherings, colorful surroundings, aromas of indian food… in which singing and playing was part of his daily atmosphere… and it was in this environment that since a child, he became naturally exposed to the world of music, becoming part of his being spontaneously.

Perceiving an intrinsic talent, his mother initiated him into tabla when he was nine. A few years of initial training led him to the feet of maestro Ustad Allarakha in Mumbai where his tabla - training continued for approximately five years. It was during this same time that Manish was exposed to a totally new genre of music – namely world and fusion – through meeting a variety of musicians from around the world. ​ Also, at that time, he was a steady musician for Osho commune international in Pune, India... where continuous experimentation and openness led him to blend with a wide variety of musicians from west and east expanding his musical horizons beyond tabla and indian classical forms. ​

At this time, manish added to his musical palette his distinctive voice and also started playing santoor, an ancient string musical instrument traditionally used initially in the folk music of Kashmir. ​ A constant involvement with international musicians, in addition to his innate talent and versatility, eventually brought Manish into the international attention. ​ Most noted was his collaboration with world famous fusion maestro, Prem Joshua with whom he shared a musical partnership over fifteen years, touring extensively through europe, america, india and asia.​ ​​

Another phase of major world travels and concerts happened when he joined Snatam Kaur in her concerts worldwide.

In addition to performing and recording, Manish is also held in high regard as a composer with a talent for creating beautiful melodies and rhythms. Most notably, mantra-queen Deva Premal has featured many of his compositions in her cd’s.

Manish’s ability to blend his talents together with many forms of world music has brought him also to the eye of world-renowned celebrities in the music field, like participating in Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding in 2002 as part of the celtic ragas band. His music touches and inspires people of every age and culture – Manish is constantly renovating and reinventing musical forms with his endless creativity, delivering a lovingly and carefully sculptured product to a highly receptive and appreciative audience; in which each single sound and each single beat has been taken care of in extraordinary detail and awareness.